Parliament Question: Buffalo accidents on National Highways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 4249 ANSWERED ON - 01/04/2026 BUFFALO ACCIDENTS ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

4249. SHRI MASTHAN RAO YADAV BEEDHA:

Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Ministry/NHAI has taken note of the rising road accidents caused by stray buffaloes and cattle on National Highways, particularly in Andhra Pradesh;

(b) the number of accidents, fatalities and injuries reported during the last three years due to cattle-related collisions on National Highways;

(c) whether guidelines/SOPs have been issued for preventing cattle movement, including fencing, barriers, underpasses/overpasses and coordination with local bodies;

(d) steps taken for regular patrolling and warning signage in cattle-prone accident zones; and

(e) whether a coordinated initiative with State Governments is proposed to prevent such accidents and the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) & (b) Road accident data is collected from the States/Union Territories and publishes the same in the annual publication "Road Accidents in India". The information regarding accidents caused by stray buffaloes and cattle on National Highways is not separately available.

(c) to (e) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been issued by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in respect of identification, timely reporting, and safe removal of stray cattle from National Highways (NHs). This SOP includes provision for barricading, street lighting, monitoring by route patrol vehicle (24x7), providing Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) and providing signages for the road users at the identified spots of crossing of stray animals. Also, SOP has considered coordinated initiative with State Governments to prevent such accidents. The designated Nodal Officer shall promptly liaise with the States/UTs and local police, providing precise details of the locations (including GPS coordinate/ Latitude/Longitude and chainage) to facilitate the safe evacuation and relocation of cattle to their assigned shelter.

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